Many imaging and video algorithms and applications benefit from processing pixels out of local memory. This enables moving data around the system in parallel to computing on data. The dedicated blocks performing data communication are commonly known as Direct Memory Access (DMA) devices. DMA relieves the host processor from burdensome, repetitive memory operations that do not need processor support due to the relatively small number of instructions that need to be supported (typically “move” operations). In rendered video operations, DMA efficiently maintains memory representation by moving voluminous memory structures representing rendered on-screen objects by repetitively referencing atomic memory units that represent an individual rendered pixel. Traffic to and from such local memory is typically predictable and hence highly suitable for support by Direct Memory Access (DMA). To deal with specific sensor pixel precision as well as save on memory bandwidth and size, different pixel precisions are used inside a typical imaging/video hardware platform. Such atomic memory units may not necessarily correspond to the word size of the platform.